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All patients who are booked for their confinements in the Council's Maternity Home
are required to attend at the ante-natal clinics.
An increasing number of expectant mothers are attending the ante-natal clinics at
St. Stephen's and Fulham Hospitals, and the provision of a lying-in ward by the Princess
Beatrice Hospital has also added to the facilities available. It is notable that there is an
increased tendency to hospitalisation of normal confinements. Contributory factors towards
this are the increasing public recognition of the importance of a properly supervised confinement
and rest for the mother during her lying-in period, together with prevalent conditions
of overcrowding.

It may be mentioned here that a stock of Maternity Outfits is maintained at the Town
Hall and Centres. Each parcel contains all sterilised dressings, etc., likely to be required for
use at a confinement in a private house, and may be obtained by any expectant mother or
midwife at a cost of four shillings.
OPHTHALMIA NEONATORUM.
Ophthalmia Neonatorum—inflammation of the eyes of the new-born—is a disease
which does a great deal of harm to the eyes of new-born infants, who may contract it at the
time of birth unless careful precautions are taken.
When a midwife is in charge of a case, any eye discharge occurring in the infant is
required to be notified by her to her local supervising authority, which in London is the
County Council; she must also call in a doctor who, if necessary, notifies the Medical Officer
of Health. When a case of this kind is notified, the Health Visitor calls immediately, any
necessary treatment being arranged.
EYE AND SKIN DEFECTS.
Cases of eye defects in mothers and children are dealt with by the London County
Council oculist, and this is a convenience to the mothers. Children who attend the clinics
regularly are referred to the London County Council local School Treatment Centres when
they are found to be suffering from Impetigo Contagiosa, as no contagious or infectious
disease is allowed in the clinics.
MASSAGE CLINIC.
Miss Christian Wickham continues her valuable services at the massage session at
Bishop Creighton House. Except during her absence abroad, she has spent two whole mornings
each week doing massage for our clinic patients. Her work is of very great value.